Creative Thought Space
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Sam Shendi | Yorkshire, UK | www.samshendi.co.uk
Sculptor

Picture
What do you think being creative means?
I think to be creative you have to have a depth of thought, a heart and a good eye. Creativity is taking another point of view, having a different angle or approach to something. It could be about something new or it could be altering something that exists. To have an idea in your mind, visualize it and then realize it. 
 
How do you include creativity in your life?
I am unaware of including creativity consciously in daily life. I am naturally creative so I am not intentionally including creativity in my life. I am constantly sketching and full of ideas which want to jump out of my head, not just on paper but into reality. As I am a sculptor the attention of details is important to me and in my daily life. 
 
What are your thoughts on how your life has influenced your creative imagination, and how your creative imagination has influenced your life?
As I am Egyptian and I left home at about 16, life has given me great experiences and this constantly reflects on and within my work, as most of my ideas have come from this experience. Because of my creativity I have always been able to get a job, be it in fashion, cartoon, and interior, and now my own business which helps me to fund my sculptures. 
 
What, if any, exercises do you do to get into a creative mode?
My creativity doesn’t need exercises. It is a waterfall. 

How important do you think creativity is in life?
Extremely important, I think if we didn’t have it we would still live in caves. Creativity reflects on our progress.
About
Egyptian-born sculptor Sam Shendi centres his work on the timeless aspects of the human condition. He uses colourful, sharp geometric shapes and defining lines to create an outline, rendered mostly in metal, to abstract his observations. He strips human nature down to its essence then expresses it in a sculptural language with architectural qualities. The finished works are uniquely bold and playful.

“I’m most interested in the shared human experiences that go beyond our differences”, says Shendi. “I work mainly from memory, transforming fleeting everyday human interactions into a lasting, lyrical, whole. Being Egyptian, I can never quite shake the legacy of my country’s history. Durability and beauty are very important to me.”

Sam Shendi studied Monumental and Architectural Sculpture at Helwen University of Fine Arts in Cairo. His degree focused mainly on producing large pieces of sculpture for public spaces, but he also gained experience in Animation, Interior Design and Lingerie Design. He graduated in 1997 with a first class BA degree with honours and opened his own Interior Design office. In 2000 he moved from Egypt to the UK, where he has found further inspiration from the industrial landscape.

“My belief”, says Shendi, “is that society doesn’t need a complex idea or thought. A simple shape that allows comfortable viewing without weighing on the eye or soul can captivate the viewer and provoke reactions.” His aim is to stimulate the audience into thinking about the message in each piece making us reflect upon our actions.